Welcome to Mr. Akbar's Neighborhood

The colonial wars of the Victorian period span the better part of a century, and always seem to pit a small number of Europeans and their trusty (?) sepoys up against everything from assegai toting Zulus to the Boers who had better rifles and artillery than the English. The wars are fought in the Americas and Africa, in Asia and the Pacific. They fought in steaming jungles and barren deserts. They are fought in the midst of the great city of Peking, and they fought in the mountainous passes of Afghanistan. They are fought in the imagination.

These wars are as much Hollywood as anything else, and Hollywood has made a host of movies on this period. Authors have been prolific, and all of the major actions are supplied with excellent miniatures. Because of the nature of the warfare in these regions, you can just as readily fight a small skirmish game as a full-fledged campaign with a series of massive battles.

If you would like a formal introduction to wargaming in this period, or might like to introduce someone else into wargaming in the Victorian colonial period, this issue is for you.

Included later in this issue are articles on the movies available for this period, some of the books available for this period, and even a set of simple rules for this period.

To my way of thinking, movies are the best way in which to introduce a potential wargamer to an historical period. If the drama of a few brave heroes struggling against a ferocious horde of warriors in exotic places doesn't grab the imagination, maybe they should stick with Parcheesi. 

Once your friend wants to know more, you can suggest-or loan-them a book that ignites the imagination. For this purpose, I might advise that something such as Donald Morris's Washing of the Spears (if the Zulu War interests you) might be a better opener than, say, A Treatise on the Maintenance of the Screw Gun in Tropical Climates. The details can come later.

A sample wargame is always a turn on. However, if you throw them into a complex game (no matter how much you enjoy it after years of study and play) with three volumes of rules and 42 pages of charts, it might do more to chase them away than invite them. Another dampener of the spirit is to show them something like a giant Napoleonic Wargame, and say that in order to play, all they have to do is buy and paint their own Corps. A major outlay of funds and six months or more of labor-not to mention the books of uniform guides-before you're permitted to play can actually dissuade folks from joining our ranks.

You might wish to start them off with something small. No, I wasn't thinking 5mm troops. I was thinking of something involving a purchase of very few figurines. A Western gunfight scenario can involve as little for the novice as their purchasing and painting one figurine. "OK. I'll be ready next week."

I'm including in this issue a simple set of skirmish rules that I stole from Jeff & Monica Hobbs when we were putting on some games to recruit garners at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland this past summer. They had stolen it from someone using them for a different period and adapted them to the French & Indian War (another good skirmish period). I adapted them to the Victorian Period, and I would be surprised if they couldn't be adapted to a raid Pirates, Vikings (no, there isn't much difference), or even Scythians. Each person runs six figurines. Not a big outlay in cash or painting time. Start them small, and then roll them onto bigger things-like a snowball going down hill.

Wargaming is a social activity. Invite them to join your group. You can always use one more, since attrition is inevitable. Besides, as a novice he may give you some easy wins for a change.

In this period we already have everything we need for gaming on India's Northwest Frontier or in Afghanistan indeed, I'm finishing writing a book on the First Afghan war, even as we speak.

We also have virtually everything we can handle on the Boxer Rebellion. My son has decided to build us the entire legation quarter of Peking, and when he does I've vowed to build the entire garrison on a man-for-man basis, including the civilians. (Yes, I've been out in the mid-day sun without my hat again.)

As of the writing of this article, we have enough lead being primed to turn the deserts of Sudan red with blood. We've even gotten some boats for the Nile, and have contracted Duke Seifried to start building wadis.

So, what are you waiting for, the movie?